Dehumidifies for use in mass transit vehicle

• US 20030221820A1
• Filed: 05/31/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Climate Control York Corp.
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Drucker, Alan S.
• Granted Patent: US 6,883,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/202
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00335 of the gas-air type B60H1/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00885 Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/024 for only dehumidifying the air
• CPC Class Codes: B61D 27/00 Heating, cooling, ventilating, or air-conditioning heating, cooling or ventilating devices for vehicles in general B60H1/00; devices for moistening air in vehicles B60H3/02; devices for filtering air in vehicles B60H3/06
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 3/153 with subsequent heating, i.e. with the air, given the required humidity in the central station, passing a heating element to achieve the required temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 30/00 Transportation of goods or passengers via railways, e.g. energy recovery or reducing air resistance
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 62/22 Free cooling

Abstract

An evaporator unit for use in the air conditioning system of a mass transit vehicle that includes a housing mounted inside the air conditioned section of the vehicle having a return air inlet connected to a supply air outlet by a flow passage. The evaporator coil of the air conditioner is mounted in the flow passage to cool the air moving through the passage. A heater coil is mounted behind the evaporator coil to selectively heat the air moving through the passage. A dehumidifying coil is mounted in front of the evaporator coil that utilizes ambient air to dehumidify the indoor air when the ambient air temperature is at a temperature below that at which the air conditioner cannot reliably operate.

Claims

1. An evaporator unit for use in the air conditioning system of a motorized passenger vehicle, said unit including

a housing enclosed inside an air conditioned section of the vehicle, said housing having a return air inlet and a supply air outlet and a flow passage that connects the air inlet to the air outlet,

fan means for moving air through said passage between the air inlet and the air outlet,

an evaporator heat exchanger mounted in the flow passage for cooling air moving through said passage,

a heating coil mounted behind the evaporator heat exchanger on the air outlet of said flow passage,

a first circulating means for passing engine coolant from the motorized vehicle engine through said heating coil to heat the air moving through said flow passage,

a dehumidifying heat exchanger mounted in front of the evaporator heat exchanger on the air inlet of the said flow passage for removing moisture from the air moving through the flow passage, and

a second circulating means for passing a cooling fluid through said dehumidifying heat exchanger for cooling air moving through said flow passage.

2. The unit of claim 1 that further includes control means for selectively controlling the operating of said evaporator heat exchanger, said heating coil and said dehumidifying heat exchanger.

3. The unit of claim 1 wherein said second circulating means includes a pump for circulating ambient air through said dehumidifying heat exchanger.

4. The unit of claim 1 that further includes an outdoor heat exchanger mounted outside of the air conditioned section of said vehicle that is connected to the dehumidifying heat exchanger by a closed loop circuit that contains said second circulating means.

5. The unit of claim 4 wherein said outdoor heat exchanger is mounted in front of an engine driven fan.

6. The unit of claim 2 wherein said control means is arranged to render the evaporator coil inoperative when the ambient air temperature fails below a predetermined level.

7. The unit of claim 6 wherein said predetermined level is about 45°

F.